Dallas-born Otis Boykin was a research engineer, chemist and entrepreneur who invented an improved

Electrical Resistor. This is used in a variety of electronic devices including

televisions, radios and computers, and helped to reduce the cost of

such products. Guided Missiles could not function without Boykin’s variable resistor. Among his many creations – and probably most importantly – he invented the Pacemaker, which has saved and extended many peoples’ lives. Sadly, and ironically, he died of heart failure himself.

Garrett Morgan was born in Kentucky and moved to Ohio to find work when he was only 14-years-old. He is responsible

for two particular inventions that helped to save lives. In 1914, Morgan

invented a type of gas mask, The Morgan Safety Hood and Smoke Protector. On July 25, 1916 Morgan and a team of

volunteers used this invention to rescue 32 men who were trapped in a tunnel

beneath Lake Erie after an explosion. After this act of heroism, fire

departments around the country lined up to purchase his masks. Of course he is also known as the inventor of the traffic light, which can save lives as long as we pay attention to them! He actually sold the rights to the traffic signal to General Electric for $50,000.00.

engineer from Los Angeles, achieved the unthinkable by making summertime that much more fun with his brainchild. He

happens to be the inventor of the greatest water gun of all time, the Super

Soaker. Johnson first invented the Super Soaker in 1988 under the name The

Power Drencher. The Super Soaker revolutionized

the squirt gun industry by using air pressure to deliver longer and more

powerful blasts of water. This innovation made the Super Soaker the most

popular toy in the U.S. in 1991 and 1992, and to date has generated over $200 million dollars in sales. In January 2008, Mr. Johnson announced his idea for a heat engine that will turn heat into power.